A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Hobbies, Crafts and Creativity The Bird Lovers Forum It Was Quite A Treat!

There are five large burning bushes along the walkway here at the facility where I am staying. I often sit near them in the sunshine and have even taken pictures there to show you later.

Yesterday, I was sitting in my usual spot, less than 2 feet from the bushes, and heard a soft sound from two of the bushes on the right side of the walk. Looking closer, I noticed there were literally HUNDREDS of chicadees in the bushes feasting on red berries! There were chicadees galore! Teeny tiny ones that could barely stay on the branches and would fall down to eat off the ground, all the way up to great big plump ones.

My presence didn't bother them at all -- they just kept right on eating! And later, when my friend in a big mototized chair and her companion came along to visit with me, the birds still stayed, undaunted by us.

Today I checked... the bushes are bare of berries on the right side of the walk, but the three bushes on the left are still laden for another hungry group of critters to come by....



Merme

Chickadees are like that. When they perceive that you are no threat to them, they will ignore you and not be bothered by your presence, Some people even get Chickadees to eat out of their hand while perching on one of their fingers. I haven't......YET. Your Chickadees are probably the Black-Capped Chickadees. Down here, we have the Carolina Chickadees. They are pretty much identical, with slight subliminal differences, mainly in size and sound. The Black-Capped are a little larger and have a raspier voice.

Twenty years ago, when I had first started birding and before the days of digital cameras, I saw a Dogwood tree one Fall. Its leaves and berries were bright red. It was literally packed with dozens of bright red male Cardinals feasting on the berries. To this day I think back on that event and WISH I had had a camera then. I would have called the picture, "A Study in Red".

Oh they LOVE the berries on burning bush! Mom has a huge one in her yard and it was loaded with birds yesterday.

What a nice view for you to have Merme!

Oh what a sight that must have been, Thorny! All those cardinals!!

I know I love being able to get so close to these birds without frightening them, loz. This is great to see!


Merme

The drought last year killed most ofthe Burning Bush in our town,including the ones in my yard.